On September 15, in Sung Mang Commune, Tuyen Quang Province, Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper, in coordination with Nhan Hoa Investment and Services Trading Co., Ltd. (Toshiko), Sung Mang Ethnic Minority Semi-Boarding Lower Secondary School (Campus 2), and the Party Committee, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Sung Mang Commune, held a ceremony to inaugurate the school's boarding dining hall.
The event was part of SGGP Newspaper's 'Thap sang niem tin – Vuot kho den truong' (Light up your faith – Overcoming difficulties of going to school) program.
Attending the ceremony were Tang Huu Phong, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Commission for Information and Education, former Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper and initiator of the program; Bui Thi Hong Suong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper; Quach Thi Ha Anh, a representative of Toshiko; representatives of the Party Committee, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Sung Mang Commune; and the school's management board, teachers, and students.
Dreams become reality
In early 2026, amid the bitter winter cold in the mountainous region, SGGP Newspaper's Warm Clothes for School program reached teachers and students at Lung Chinh Ethnic Minority Semi-Boarding Lower Secondary School, now Campus 2 of Sung Mang Ethnic Minority Semi-Boarding Lower Secondary School.
At the time, VND200 million (US$7,700) in sponsorship and 417 warm coats were presented directly to the students, along with funding to help the school improve its facilities.
However, what stayed with the delegation after the trip was a deep concern over the cramped and deteriorating facilities where boarding students had their meals.
At the inauguration ceremony on September 15, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper, Bui Thi Hong Suong, said that following the initial visit, SGGP received the empathy, support, and generosity of Toshiko.
As a result, the SGGP Newspaper delegation returned to the school on July 26 to launch construction of the boarding dining hall, with the goal of putting the facility into operation and serving boarding students at the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year.
Today, the boarding dining hall at Sung Mang Ethnic Minority Semi-Boarding Lower Secondary School (Campus 2) is a spacious and clean building with freshly painted walls and spotless tables and chairs.
“When school life is better taken care of, students will have better health, greater joy, and more motivation to study,” she said.
Alongside the Warm Clothes for School program, SGGP Newspaper's Light up your faith—Overcoming Difficulties of Going to School program has served as a bridge of solidarity, helping provide practical facilities for students in remote and disadvantaged areas across the country.
Since 2023, the program has organized 86 events to present gifts and warm clothing and inaugurate or hand over facilities to schools and students in more than 30 provinces and cities nationwide, with total funding exceeding VND35 billion.
A source of support for students in the highlands
At the inauguration ceremony, Pham Van Dinh, Vice Principal of Sung Mang Ethnic Minority Semi-Boarding Lower Secondary School (Campus 2), said the facility symbolizes solidarity and support for communities facing difficulties. The school’s teachers will take over the facility and ensure that it is used for its intended purpose and maintained for long-term use, creating better conditions for boarding students to focus on their studies.
Ms. Quach Thi Ha Anh, a representative of Toshiko, expressed her delight at accompanying SGGP and said she hoped to continue working with the newspaper to promote a sense of community responsibility in other remote and disadvantaged areas.
Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Sung Mang Commune, Sung Mi Po, said the timely support not only helped address the longstanding difficulties surrounding meals and living conditions for more than 300 boarding students but also improved their health and food safety while giving them greater confidence and motivation to pursue their studies.
He added that the support also served as a major source of encouragement for teachers working in disadvantaged areas.
On this occasion, SGGP Newspaper's Light up your faith—Overcoming Difficulties of Going to School program presented 50 backpacks to students at Sung Mang Ethnic Minority Semi-Boarding Lower Secondary School (Campus 2).
